Step-ladder.



G. T. CARR.

STEP LADDER. APPLICATiON FILED DEC. 26. l9l6. 1,273,031 Patented July 16, 1918.

NVENTOR WITNESSES I G607 96.TC(L1"1 ATTORNEY GEORGE T. CARE, OF OWEN, WISCONSIN.

STEP-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918..

Application filed. December 26, 1916. Serial No. 138,967.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. CARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gwen, in the county of Clark and State of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Step-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in step ladders, and more particularly to ladders of this type adapted to be folded when not in use and to be spread. and set up foruse.

An object of my invention is to provide a ladder structure which presents the parts thereof in such relation that all portions of the device are braced and reinforced, and to arrange means to positively hold the supporting brace legs against spreading from the main rails in an excessive degree while at the same time presenting additional supports for the top step of the ladder.

Yet another object is to provide a shelf which is carried "at such a point that when the ladder is standing in the upright position this shelf may be raised to be supported and will be held in this raised position until manually released.

With the above and other. objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter set forth in connection with the drawings and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the ladder with the brace legs spread and the ladder in the standing position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but show ing the ladder with the parts thereof in the relation which they occupy when the ladder structure is folded.

Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation of the parts as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view to show the manner of mounting the pail shelf.

The side rails 1 and 2 of the ladder have the steps 3 mounted across between their inner sides and the brace 4 is provided to draw the side rails in against the ends of the steps so that the parts will be secured and held in rigid mounting, it of course being understood that the side rails 1 and 2 can be extended to have any length and that the number of steps would be consequently varied in different adaptations.

The brace legs 5 and 6 are connected with the side rails 1 and 2 of the ladder by the use of the bolts 7 and the brace legs may thus have swinging movement to be angularly disposed with respect to the side bars. A reinforcing cross bar 8 is connected between the brace legs 5 and 6 adjacent to the lower ends thereof and in this arrange ment the legs are formed to provide a substantially rigid structure which is permitted swinging movement around the pivotal mounting on the bolts 7 A top or step 9 is secured on the upper ends of the side bars 1 and 2 to extend over and rearwardly of the inside edges of these bars and a strip 10 is secured along the lower rear edge of this top or step 9 in such relation that it depends downwardly therefrom. The brace members 11 and 12 are connected on the brace legs 5 and 6 by means of the bolts 13 in such a manner that they may have swinging movement and these brace bars are positioned in line with the side bars 1 and 2 of the ladder structure. These brace bars 11 and 12 are cut away on their inner upper corners as shown at 141, and the bars are thus so formed that as the brace legs 5 and 6 are brought to the folded position as shown in Fig. 2, they are held against displacement from the position adjacent to the side bars 1 and 2 by the cross piece 10 and as the brace legs are swung to the open position shown in Fig. 1, the upper shaped ends of these brace bars 11 and 12 will be received in the space between the upper ends of the side bars 1 and 2 and the cross piece 10 with the extreme end resting against the lower side of the top or step 9.

A shelf 15 has the eyelets 16 carried thereby mounted around a cross bar 17 which is secured between the brace bars 11 and 12 and thus this shelf is capable of swinging movement, a bracket bar 18 being hingedly connected on the lower side near the outer edge of the shelf 15 as shown at 19 and provided on its free end with a notch 20 which is adapted to be fitted over the bolt 13 as the shelf is brought to the raised position as shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing it 'will be seen that I have provided a ladder which is of such construction that it can be manufactured and sold at prices very little if any higher than the standard form of ladder and which presents a structure in which the brace legs are reinforced and braced down along their length from points adjacent to their connection with the side rails of the laddersents additional support and reinforcement for the upper part of the ladder structure and for the top or step at the upper ends of theside bars. VVhi-le I have herein shown and described only one specific form of the device, it will of course be understood that a number of variations and modifications might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, in view of which fact I do not wish to be limited to the exact disclosure but only to such points as may be set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. A step ladder comprising side bars having steps mounted in conjunction therewith to form a ladder structure, brace legs connected together and mounted in conjunction with the ladder structure to be capable of swinging movement to a spread relation with respect to the side bars to support the ladder structure, brace bars connected with said brace legs to bear against a portion of the ladder structure and hold the brace legs against excessive spreading from the side bars and the ladder structure proper,-a shelf mounted in conjunction with the brace bars Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofPatents; 7

ing steps mounted in conjunction therewith to form a ladder structure, brace legs connected together and mounted 1n con unction with the ladder structure to" be capable of swinging movement to a spread relation I with respect to the side bars to support the ladder structure, brace bars connected with said brace legs to bear against a portlon of the ladder structure and hold the brace legs against excessive'spreading from the side bars and the ladder structure proper, a shelf mounted in conjunction with the brace bars to be capable of movement to raised and lowered positions, a brace member mounted in" conjunction with the shelf to support the same in the raised position, and means arranged to hold the brace bars against displacement from their supporting andbracing positions.

In testimony whereof I aIiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE T. CARR. l/Vitnesses:

J. L. PAULEY.

' Washington, D. O. 

